Astrolight, a space and defence company developing laser communication solutions across space, ground, and maritime domains, completed the commissioning of the Holomondas Optical Ground Station (OGS) in Greece this March. The station will support Greek In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV) missions, now underway, with high-throughput, secure optical data transmissions from the satellites in orbit to the Holomondas OGS on Earth.
The OGS was developed as part of the PeakSat project, led by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) and jointly supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance. The project falls under the Greek IOD/IOV CubeSat initiative, part of ESA’s Greek Connectivity Programme, which is carried out by the Agency on behalf of the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance. It aims to advance optical connectivity infrastructure in Greece and Europe.
PeakSat and ERMIS-3 CubeSats, both participating in the Greek IOD/IOV missions, were among eight ESA-backed spacecraft that successfully reached orbit on March 30, 2026. Within that group, they were two of three Greek CubeSats carrying optical communications payloads.
For the PeakSat and ERMIS-3 missions, Astrolight supplied both segments of the optical link: the Holomondas OGS and the ATLAS-1 laser communication terminals onboard the two satellites. Together, these elements form a complete end-to-end optical communications system for the demonstration.
“We are happy to apply our technical expertise to commission the Holomondas station and support the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki’s efforts to advance Greece’s and Europe’s optical communication infrastructure,” said Laurynas Mačiulis, CEO of Astrolight. “By providing an end-to-end communication system, with ground and space segments designed to work together from the start, we helped streamline the mission’s path from integration to in-orbit testing.”
Astrolight equipped the Holomondas site, originally an astronomical observatory, with laser communication systems, including an advanced 808-nanometer laser beacon and a C-band optical receiver. Both enable precise laser beam alignment and optical data reception at speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps under varying atmospheric and operational conditions.
Astrolight developed the core optical system inside the ground station, together with advanced calibration technology that helps maintain accuracy during temperature changes and mechanical shifts. This approach enables the system to be integrated with more compact telescope and mount configurations, reducing the need for larger and more costly ground station infrastructure.
“Holomondas is moving closer to becoming an internationally recognised optical communication hub and contributing to the future global network of optical ground stations,” said Kleomenis Tsiganis, Professor and Head of SSA and OGS activities at AUTh. “This progress has been made possible through close collaboration between academia and industry, and our joint endeavour shows how such partnerships can accelerate the development of laser communication infrastructure.”
Unlike traditional radio frequency (RF), laser communication uses narrow beams of infrared light, which can transmit data at up to 100 times higher rates than RF and are extremely resilient to electronic interference.
“ESA is proud to support the joint efforts of Astrolight and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in advancing Europe’s next generation of optical communication infrastructure. The commissioning of the Holomondas Optical Ground Station marks an important step towards enabling faster, more secure, and resilient connectivity, while strengthening Greece’s role within Europe’s expanding optical communications ecosystem,” said Frederic Rouesnel, Greek Connectivity RRF Project Manager at ESA. “As the Greek CubeSats move into their demonstration phase, they will help validate innovative laser communication technologies that will provide alternatives to scarce radio frequencies and shape the future of high-capacity connectivity in space.”
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